Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Name: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 1 slice
Ingredients: 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for the filling; 1/4 cup light brown sugar, for the filling; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, for the filling; 3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped, for the filling; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted, for the filling; 2/3 cup butter, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups (280 g) Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix; 1 cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling; 1/4 cup pecan or walnut halves, for the topping; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted, for the topping

on Dec 11 2025

Table of Contents

Pumpkin coffee cake is what the sour cream version becomes in October. Canned pumpkin in the batter, pumpkin pie spice in the filling, and toasted pumpkin seeds across the top.

The pumpkin replaces the sour cream entirely, so the crumb is softer and a shade denser, with the color and the warm spice you expect from the season.

Built on Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix, which means no baking powder to measure and no xanthan gum to add.

So good, no one will guess it is gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

Toast the Pumpkin Seeds First

This is the step that makes the recipe, and it takes eight minutes.

Spread all the pumpkin seeds on an ungreased pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to turn golden. Do the whole quantity at once, since half goes into the filling and half goes on top.

Untoasted seeds are soft and taste of very little. Toasted, they go nutty and crisp and they hold that texture through the bake.

Watch them. They go from golden to burnt quickly, and burnt pumpkin seeds are bitter enough to carry through the whole cake.

Canned Pumpkin, Not Pie Filling

The recipe calls for one cup of canned pumpkin, and the label matters.

Canned pumpkin is pure pumpkin. Canned pumpkin pie filling is pumpkin with sugar and spices already added, and using it here makes the cake far too sweet and throws off the liquid balance.

Check the front of the can. They sit next to each other on the shelf and the packaging is nearly identical.

The mix this is built on Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix A complete baking mix with the leavening and salt included. GFCO-certified.

If the Center Dips

Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, which makes this cake slightly more prone to sinking than the sour cream version.

If yours dips in the middle, add a quarter to a half cup more Pancake & Baking Mix next time. That is almost always a measuring difference rather than a problem with the recipe.

Weighing helps more than anything else. We use 140 g per cup, and a scooped cup can run 20 g heavier or lighter depending on how packed the bag is.

Bake it fully. 50 to 60 minutes, and the toothpick needs to come out clean rather than with moist crumbs. A pumpkin batter stays wet longer than a plain one.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 60 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Yield 12

Serving Size 1 slice

Ingredients

1/4 cup granulated sugar, for the filling
1/4 cup light brown sugar, for the filling
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, for the filling
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped, for the filling
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted, for the filling
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (280 g) Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix
1 cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
1/4 cup pecan or walnut halves, for the topping
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted, for the topping

Shop Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, 24 oz.

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
Toast the pumpkin seeds. Spread all of them on an ungreased pan and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown. Remove and set aside. Watch them closely, since they burn quickly.
Make the filling. Stir the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, chopped nuts, and a quarter cup of the toasted seeds together until well mixed. Set aside.
Make the batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium about 2 minutes, until light. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. On low speed, add the Pancake & Baking Mix and the canned pumpkin alternately, beginning and ending with the mix, until just combined.
Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it to cover the bottom completely. Sprinkle half the filling evenly over it. Repeat with the remaining batter and the rest of the filling. Scatter the nut halves and the remaining toasted seeds over the top.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake is slightly pulling away from the sides.
Cool on a rack before releasing the pan.

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Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, 24 oz.

One mix, a whole recipe box

Pancakes are just the beginning. This is the mix behind our most-loved waffles, banana bread, blueberry muffins, drop biscuits, crepes, and coffee cake. If you keep one gluten-free mix in the pantry, this is the one that earns its shelf space.

Also your waffle mix

The waffle recipe is printed right on the bag: separate the eggs, whip the whites, and fold them into the batter for waffles that bake up crisp outside and tender inside. Want extra crunch? Leave them in the iron a little longer.

Why it works

Cultured buttermilk gives a tender crumb, almond meal adds richness, and whole grains bring flavor most gluten-free mixes leave behind. It all started in Pamela's own Northern California kitchen in 1988, and it's still the #1 gluten-free pancake mix.

Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour, Cultured Buttermilk, Almond Meal, Tapioca Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate), Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum.

Contains Milk and Almonds.

Pamela's Products are manufactured in a Gluten-Free Certified Facility and peanut-free facility. Our products are produced on equipment that processes Tree Nuts, Coconut, Eggs, and Soy.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Other Pans That Work

A greased 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom works, as does a greased 10-cup bundt pan.

A 9-inch cake pan with the bottom and sides lined with parchment also works, though it is harder to release cleanly.

A 9x13 pan works for a crowd. Spread the layers the same way and start checking at 35 minutes, since a shallower cake bakes faster.

Whichever pan you use, grease it thoroughly. The filling contains sugar that caramelizes against the pan.

Measuring the Mix

Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix is a complete mix, which is why there is no baking powder, baking soda, or salt in this ingredient list. They are already in the bag.

It also contains almond meal and cultured buttermilk. The almond meal adds fat that keeps the crumb tender, and the buttermilk gives a slight tang that keeps a sweet cake from tasting flat.

Measure by weight if you can. Our recipes use 140 g per cup. Scooping the cup through the bag compacts the mix and can add 20 g or more per cup, which in a coffee cake shows up as dense and dry.

If your cake dips in the center, add a quarter to a half cup more mix next time. That is almost always a measuring difference rather than a recipe problem.

Storing and Freezing

Room temperature: 3 days in an airtight container. The pumpkin keeps it moist.

Refrigerator: up to a week, though it firms. Let slices come back to room temperature.

Freezer: up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake tightly and thaw at room temperature.

Individual slices freeze well, which makes this a good one to portion out for the season.

What This Contains

This recipe contains milk and tree nuts.

Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix contains almond meal and cultured buttermilk, so it cannot be made nut-free or dairy-free. The butter, eggs, and sour cream in this recipe add more dairy and egg.

The mix is also made on equipment that processes soy.

Everything from Pamela's is certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and made in a certified gluten-free, peanut-free facility.

Recipe FAQs

No. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices in it, which makes the cake far too sweet and throws off the liquid balance. The recipe needs plain canned pumpkin. The two cans sit next to each other and look nearly identical, so check the front.

It takes eight minutes and it is the step that makes the recipe. Untoasted seeds are soft and taste of very little. Toasted, they go nutty and crisp and hold that texture through the bake. Watch them closely, since they burn fast.

Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, which makes this one more prone to sinking than a sour cream version. Add a quarter to a half cup more Pancake & Baking Mix next time, and bake it fully until the toothpick comes out clean rather than with moist crumbs.

A 9-inch springform is what the recipe is written for. A 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom or a 10-cup bundt both work. A 9x13 works for a crowd and bakes faster, so start checking at 35 minutes.

Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix is a complete mix, so the leavening and salt are already in the bag. Adding more would make the cake rise too quickly and collapse, which is the opposite of what you want with a heavy pumpkin batter.